Side frame for car-trucks.



C. W. SHERMAN.

SIDE FRAME FOR CAR TRUCKS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17. I914.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

INVENTDR ATTEIR NEY:

WiTNEii": E5 M J UNETEED @lFlFllQE CLIFTGN W. SHERMAN, F BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 BOLTLESS ARCH BAR TRUCK INCL, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A GORPOEATION OF NEW YORK.

SIDE FEAT/IE FOB CAR-TRUCKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented An". 31, 1915.

Application filed August 17, 1914:- Serial No. 857,084

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CLIFTON W. SHERMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York have invented new and useful Iniprovements in Side Frames for Car-Trucks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a side frame for car trucks and more particularly to that type of side frames which embody in their organization upper and lower arch bars and tie bars, and upright columns which are arranged between the upper and lower arch bars and on opposite sides of the bolster and spring plank of the truck.

It is the purpose of this invention to improi'e the construction of the means whereby he columns are connected with the arch and tie bars so as to render the same more durable, also capable of being readily and easily assembled and dismembered and also capable of being manufactured at comparatively low cost.

in the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a side frame for car trucks embodying one form of my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section thereof taken in line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section showing a modified form of my invention. Fig. is a vertical transverse section taken in line 4-l, Fig. 3.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In its general organization the side frame adapted to receive my improvements coinprises an upper arch bar 1, a lower arch bar 2- arranged below the upper arch bar and a tie bar 3 arranged below the lower arch bar, said members being all arranged lengthwise of the car truck and connected at their extremities to the ournal boxes a in which the axles of the wheels iturn in any suitable and well known manner.

6 represents the bolster arranged transersely underneath the central part of the upper arch bar, 7 the spring plank arranged transversely above the central part of the lower arch. bar, and 8 the cluster of springs interposed between the underside of the bolster and the upper side of the spring plank adiacent to the arch and tie bars.

My improvements relate more particularly to the construction of the upright columns which are arranged between the upper and lower arch bars and on opposite sides of the bolster, spring plank and the springs and the means whereby these columns are connected with the arch and tie bars and cooperate with the bolster and spring plank.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, each of the columns is provided with two upright side pieces 9, 9 which are arranged on opposite sides of the upper and lower arch bars, an upper'cross piece 10 connecting the upper ends of the side pieces and engaged on its underside by the adjacent part of the upper arch bar a lower cross piece 11 connecting the side pieces at a distance from the lower ends thereof and engaged on its underside by the adjacent part of the lower arch bar and an intermediate cross piece or hearing piece 12 connecting the side pieces at a point below the upper cross piece and above the lower cross piece. a

The parts of the column just enumerated preferably constructed in one piece of steel" although if desired they may be mate in any other suitable manner or of other suitable material.

The upper cross piece of the column is provided with a vertical opening or seat 13 and on opposite sides of this opening this cross piece is provided with two upwardly projecting perforated lugs 1-1, 1% which latter are preferably formed integrally with the respective column. Vertically in line with the opening of the upper cross piece the upper arch bar is provided with a vertical opening 15. On its upper side and preferably at that edge of the bearing piece nearest the bolster the upper side of the bearing piece is provided with a bearing socket or recess 16 which opens upwardly and is of substantially semi-cylindrical form in a plane vertically and lengthwise of the side frame. Between the bearing piece and the underside of that part of the upper arch bar immediately above the bearing piece is arranged a locking block 17 which is provided at its lower end with a semi-cylindrical bearing knuckle or hook 18 engaging with the socket of the bearing piece while its upper end engages with the underside of the upper arch bar below the upper cross piece of the companion column. The upper end of the locking block at the inner-0r front corner thereof is curved concentrically with the axis of the bearing knuckle and socket,

as shown at 20 in Fig. 1, so that this block can be introduced into its operative position by first engaging the knuckle of the same with the bearing socket while the locking block is in an outwardly or rearwardly inclined position and the bolster is in place and then turning the free upper part of the locking block upwardly and inwardly toward the corresponding end of the side frame, so that the outer or rear upper corner 19 of the locking block engages with the underside of the upper arch bar and its further movement in this direction is arrested. The locking block may now be held in this position by passing an upper vertical locking pin 21 downwardly through the opening in the upper cross piece and the coinciding opening of the upper arch bar and engaging the lower end of this pin with a recess 22 in the upper end of the locking block, this locking pin being retained against displace ment in this position by means of a key 23 of any suitable construction which is passed through the perforated ears of the upper cross piece and across the upper end of the locking pin, as shown in Figs. 1 and-2. The opposite ends of this key are preferably bent outside of the perforated ears so that this key is not liable to become detached, thereby confining the upper locking pin in engagement with the upper cross piece, the upper arch bar and the locking block. When the parts are thus assembled the vertical inner edge portion 24 of the locking block which overhangs the inner side of the companion column forms a guide for the adjacent side of the bolster by providing the respective vertical side of the bolster with up right guide lugs or flanges 25 which engage with opposite sides of said overhanging guide portion 2 1- of the locking block. The inner edges of the column side pieces are retracted adjacent to the inner edge of the locking block and the space 26 immediately below the same so as to permit the bolster to be passed with its guide lugs horizontally and transversely through these clearance spaces 26 below the locking blocks and then the bolster may be moved upwardly for engaging its guide lugs with opposite sides of both locking blocks on the respective columns, after which the spring cluster is interposed between the underside of the bolster and the spring plank.

On its lower part each of the columns is provided with two vertical attaching lugs 27 projecting transversely from opposite sides thereof and secured to the adjacent vertical sides or walls of the spring plank by means of rivets 28, as shown in Figs 1 and 2, or any other suitable manner. The lower end of each of these columns is also provided with two horizontal supporting lugs 29 which project inwardly from the lower ends of the transverse lugs underneaththe spring plank so that the latter rests upon the sup porting lugs and relieves the rivets 28 from shearing strains.

The means for holding the lower end of each column, the lower arch bar and the tie bar in place relatively to each other, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, comprise an upright coupling or fastening pin 30 passing through coinciding vertical openings 31, 32, 33 formed in the lower cross piece of the re spective column, the adjacent part of the lower arch bar and the adjacent part of the tie bar, and an enlargement, collar or disk arranged on the central part of the fastening pin and engaging with its upper side against the underside of the lower arch bar while its lower side engages with the upper side of the tie bar. No additional means are necessary for confining this fastening pin in place inasmuch as the tension of the lower arch bar and tie bar relatively to the respective column and lower fastening pin operates constantly to hold these parts together. If desired, however, an upper key 35 may be passed through a transverse opening formed in the upper end of the pin 30 above the lower cross piece and a lower key 36 may be passed through the lower end of the lower fastening pin 30 below the tie bar, thereby positively securing this fastening pin in place and preventing separation of the parts associated therewith. By arranging the lower cross piece of each of the columns at a distance above the lower ends of its side pieces a downwardly opening socket or fork is formed which receives the adjacent part of the lower arch bar and prevents lateral displacement of these parts relatively to each other, as shown in Fig. 2.

In the modified construction of the means for holding the locking block in its operative position the locking pin 37 is arranged with its central part in a vertical opening 38 in the upper arch bar, its upper end engages with a downwardly opening recess 39 formed in the underside of the upper cross bar 10 and the lower end of this looking pin engages with the longitudinal groove 40 arranged in the upper end of the locking block and extending to the outer side of the same but terminating at a distance from the inner side of the same so as to form an outwardly facing shoulder 41 which engages with the lower locking pin 37, as shown in Fig. 3.

In assembling the parts when constructed as shown in Fig. 3, the locking pin 37 is first passed upwardly through the opening of the upper arch bar from the underside thereof until the upper end of this pin engages with the recess of the upper cross piece, then the locking block is engaged wlth its bearin'g knuckle 18 into the bearing socket 16 of the intermediate cross piece or bearing piece 12 and turned upwardly and outwardly so that the groove 40 of the locking block receives the lower end of the locking pin 37, and then the bolster is engaged with the locking block, thereby holding the sev eral parts in place.

It will be noted that in the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the upper locking pin is held in its operative position by the upper key 23 and the locking block is held in its operative position regardless of whether the bolster is present or absent, but in the construction shown in Fig. 3, the retention of the locking block in its operative position and the engagement therewith of the locking pin is controlled by the presence of the bolster so that when the latter is removed in the last mentioned construction, the locking block is free to swing inwardly out of engagement from the upper locking pin and upper arch bar and the locking pin is free to drop out of engagement from the upper arch bar and upper cross piece.

In the modified construction of my invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4:, the tie bar engages directly with the underside of the lower arch bar and these bars are connected with each other and with the respective column at the lower end thereof by means of a vertical fastening or coupling pin 42 passing tnrough coinciding vertical openings 31, 32, 83 in the lower cross piece of the column, the lower arch bar and the tie bar, a head 43 arranged at the upper end of this cou pling pin and bearing against the upper side of the lower cross piece and a key 44k passing through a horizontal opening in the lower end of this coupling pin and below the underside of the tie bar.

This improved construction of column for car truck side frames and the means for connecting the same with the arch and tie bars, guiding the bolster and supporting the spring plank are exceedingly simple in construction and can be produced at low cost. Furthermore, assembling and dismembering of the parts of th side frame can be efiected easily and quickly, and when the parts are in working condition they are not liable to become displaced or get out of order under the severe strains to which they are subjected while in use.

I claim as my invention:

1. A side frame for car trucks comprising a column having a cross piece at its upper end and a bearing below said cross piece, an arch bar engaging with the underside of said cross piece, and a locking block pivoted at its lower end on said bearing and engaging its upper end with the underside of said arch bar.

2. A side frame for car trucks comprising a column having a cross piece at its upper end and a bearing below said cross piece, an arch bar engaging with the underside of said cross piece, a locking block pivoted at its lower end on said bearing and engaging its upper end with the underside of said arch bar, and a locking pin engaging with said cross piece, arch bar and locking block.

3. A side frame for car trucks comprising a column having a cross piece at its upper end and a bearing below said cross piece, an arch bar engaging with the underside of said cross piece, and a locking block pivoted at its lower end on said bearing and having its upper end curved concentrically with its pivotal axis and engaging with the underside of said arch bar.

4. A side frame for car trucks comprising a column provided at its upper end with a cross piece which has a seat and provided below said cross bar with a bearing, an arch bar engaging with the underside of said cross piece and provided with a vertical opening, a locking block pivoted at its lower end on said bearing and having its upper end engaging with the underside of said arch bar and provided with a recess, and a vertical locking pin engaging with said seat, opening and recess.

5. A side frame for car trucks comprising a column provided at its upper end with a cross piece having a vertical opening and a perforated lug arranged above said opening, and said column being also provided below its cross piece with a bearing, an arch bar engaging with the underside of said cross piece and having a vertical opening, a locking block pivoted at its lower end on said bearing and having its upper end engaging with the underside of said arch bar and provided with a recess, a locking pin arranged in said openings and recess, and a key arranged in said lug and engaging with the upper end of said pin.

6. A side frame for car trucks comprising a column provided at its upper end with a cross piece and below said cross piece with bearing piece having an upwardly open bearing socket, an arch bar engaging with the underside of said cross piece, and a locking block having a bearing knuckle at its lower end which engages with said socket while its upper end engages with the underside of said arch bar.

7. A side frame for car trucks comprising a column having a cross piece and a bearing, a longitudinal bar engaging one of its sides with said cross piece, and a locking block pivoted on said bearing and engaging with the opposite side of said bar.

8. A side frame for car trucks comprising a column having a seat, a longitudinal bar engaging said seat, and a locking block pivotally mounted on said column and engaging said bar.

9. A side frame for car trucks comprising a. column provided at its lower end with a cross piece, an arch bar engaging with the underside of said cross piece, a tie bar arranged below said arch bar, said cross piece, arch bar and tie bar having coinciding openings, and means for connecting said cross piece, arch bar and tie bar comprising a pin arranged in said openings and provided with a spacing collar arranged between the arch bar and tie bar.

10. A side frame for car trucks comprising a column provided at its lower end with a cross piece, an arch bar engaging with the underside of said cross piece, a tie bar arranged below said arch bar, said cross piece, arch bar and tie bar having coinciding openings, and means for connecting said cross piece, arch bar and tie bar comprising a pin 15 arranged in said openings and provided with a spacing collar arranged between the arch bar and tie bar, and keys arranged in the upper and lower ends of said pin and engaging respectively with the upper side 2) of said cross piece and the underside of said tie bar. 3 Witness my hand this 10th day of August, l

CLIFTON W. SHERMAN. Witnesses:

THEO. L. POPP, E. M. GRAHAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

